Laying cabinet



Oct 19 1926. 1,603,461

G. w. HARLACHER LAYING CABINET Filed July 2'7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet -1 II i o o o o o J V I Gwr ae .1 1! flarlack'er Oct. 19 1926.

G. W. HARLACHER LAYING CABINET Filed July 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2;lllllllllllllllllll Patented (Jet. 19, 192.6.

UNHED steam FEFEQE.

GEORGE W. HARLACHER, 01E DOVER, PENNSYLVANIA, AS$IGNOB OF ONE-HALF TOHOWARD E. QUICKEL, F DOVER, ?;ENI ISYLVANIA.

LAYING CABINET.

Applieation filed July 27, 1925.

The present invention relates to poultry equipment, and moreparticularly to a hens nest or laying cabinet.

An object of the invention is to provide a cabinet adapted to maintain aplurality of nests, and which may be readily cleaned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cabinet which may becheaply manufactured and sold at an inconsiderable cost.

Another object of the invention is to afford a cabinet in which theindividual nests are of extremely simple construction, may beindividually removed, and are provided with an extension which. servesas a perch and also as a shade or visor for an adjacent nest orcompartment.

Other objects of the invention are to provide means for convenientlysecuring the nestin position, to construct a cabinet so that it may bereadily increased or decreased in size, as may be desirable, and,generally. to provide a construction which enables the entire cabinet tobe thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. These and other objects of theinvention. will become clear as thedescription proceeds in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevationalView,

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective showing the cabinet frame with the nestbottoms removed.

Fig-ure 4; is a perspective of one of the nest bottoms.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of a frame or cabinet of sectionalconstruction with some of the nest bottoms removed.

Figure 6 is a perspective of two cabinet tiller sections.

Figure 7 is a front elevational view of a n'iodified construction, and

Figure 8 is a vertical section on substantially the line 8-8 of Figure7.

teferring' to the drawings for amore de tailed description, the devicecomprises a cabinet-type of frame (Figure 3), which consists of a seriesof vertical partitions 10, the outer partitions being extendeddownwardly to form legs or supports 11. and the entire series beingunited by a top 12, a baclr closing wall. and a front joiningstrip 141.A frame thus constructed may be conveniently made from wood. or anyother suitable material. It will be noted that when Serial No. 46,450.

the nest bottoms, which form the individual compartments, are not inposition, as illus trated in Figure 3, the entire interior of thecabinet is open, and may conveniently be cleansed very thoroughly. Eachnest is, preferably, formed by a bottom member 15, carrying a front wall16, which may be formed integral with or otherwise fixedly secured tothe bottom. the latter being pro vided with an extension 17. whichprojects beyond the wall, to provide a perch, and also to serve a visoror shade for the next lower nest or compartment when the bottomsarearranged in vertical. tiers (Fig ures 1 and 2) in the cabinet.

The bottoms may be secured in position in any suitable manner, as, forinstance, by providim. each partition 10 with horizontal grooves .18,the grooves on opposed partitions beine; horizontally aligned to providee'uideways for the bottoms, thus enabling, the latter to be slidablymoved into and out of position. To prevent accidental dislodgment of thenest bottoms, suitable latch means may be provided, such as the pivotally movable latches 19 arranged upon the partitions 10 and serving,when turned ho izontally. to overlie the front wall 16 of each nestbottom. By reference to Figure "2, it will be noted that the extension1.7 substantially equals the distance between the top edge 16 of eachfront wall and the superposed nest bottom, so that the extension serveseffectively to shade the lower nest, and thereby to provide thedesirable darkness in each nest.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the invention is here shown as embodied ina cabinet of sectional construction, permitting increase and decrease inthe size of each cabinet. The individual sections are, preferably.horizontally arranged, and an individual section comprises a backclosing wall 20 extendine; across vertical partition sections 21. thefront edges of the latter being united. by means of a connecting strip22, which. is suitably grooved, as at 23 (Figure 5) to receive the frontedges of the partition sections. It will be observed that the wall 20 atone edge 20 projects downwardly below the bottoms of the partitionsections, and at this upper edge is cut away, as at 20". Likewise. thefront strip 22 extends in a vertical plane beyond the adjacenthorizontal edges of the partition sections, in the present instance thelower horizontal edges, to overlie the partition sections of theadjacent main cabinet section. By reference to Figure 5, it will beobserved that the front strip is suitably grooved vertically to 'reccivethe partitions of the adjacent section,

and thus, together with the back wall, which .Each cabinet of sectionalconstruction includes a top section and a bottom section having legportions 26, these two sections being the only two which are at alldifferent from the filler sections illustrated in Fig ure 6. It will benoted that the partition sections are eachprovided with grooves 27,which serve asguide-ways for the nest bottoms, and each partitionsection carries the pivotal latch members 28.

Obviously, however, a different mechanical means might be employed forretaining the nest bottoms in position, in either a cabinet of integralconstruction or one of the sectional construction. As illustrative ofthe variation of the particular means pre viously described, there isshown in Figures 7 and 8 a modification, in which there are provided aseries of horizontally disposed pivot pins 30 extending through eyebrackets 31 positioned upon each partition. The nest bottoms are formedwith grooves 82' (Figure 8) which are closed by loops or brackets 38' toprovide closed bearings through which the pivot pins pass. It will benoted that a single pin 30 serves to maintain in position an entirehorizontal series of nest bottoms and to permit the same to be pivotallymoved to and from horizontal position. With this form of device, stops3% may be arranged upon the back wall 35, andthe latches 28 preventaccidental move ment of the bottoms. lVhenever a single nest is to beexamined or removed, it is simply necessary to release the same by meansof its latch 28, thus permitting the porch extension 17 to be depressedand raising the portion of the bottom within the cabinet. An entirehorizontal series may beremoved' by withdrawing the pivot pin 30, whichcarries, at one end, a cotter pin 36, to hold it in working position. Itwill be clear that the means for supporting the nest bottoms within thecabinet may be varied, as desired, andthat the invention is notlimitedto this feature. I

A common characteristic of all of the forms illustrated and described isthe facility with which the bottoms may be removed and the open interiorconstruction of the cabinets when the bottoms are withdrawn. Thus thereis no diiiiculty whatsoever in maintaining the device entirely sanitary,which is a highly important consideration in an article of thischaracter. Fur thermore, both the cabinet and nest bottoms are formed ofinterchangeable parts, which enables the device to be manufactured andmarketed in quantities and at a comparatively small expense.

Ubviously, numerous changes may be made in the construction illustratedand described, without departing from the invention, which is defined inthe following claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a frame having a pluralityof vertical partitions therein, and a plurality of nest bottomsremovably supported by said partitions and between the samein verticaltiers, each bottom having thereon a front wall which only partiallycloses the space between its bottom'and the superposed bottom and isremovable with its bottom as a unit, each of said bottoms being extendedoutwardly be yond' said front wall to form a perch and also to serve asa shade for the next lower nest.

2. A device of the class described comprising a frame having a pluralityof vertical partitions therein, and a plurality of nest bottomsremovably supported by said partitions and between the same in verticaltiers, each bottom having thereon a front wall which only' partiallycloses the space between its bottom and the superposed bottom and isremovable with its bottom as a unit, each of said bottoms being extendedoutwardly beyond said front wall a distance substantially equal to thedistance between the top edge of each front wall and the superposedbottom to form a perch and also to serve as a shade for the next lowernest.

3. A device of the class described comprisinga frame having a pluralityof vertical partitions therein, a plurality of nest bottoms reinovablysupported by said partitions and between the same in vertical tiers,each bottom having thereon a front wall which only partially closes thespace between its bottom and the superposed bottom and is removable withits bottom as a unit, each of said bottoms being extended outwardlybeyond said front wall to form a perch and also to serve as a shade forthe next lower nest. and latch devices on said partitions to maintainsaid bottoms in position.

4. A device of the class described comprising a frame having a pluralityof vertical partitions therein, and a plurality of nest bottomsremovably supported by said partitions and between the same in verticaltiers, each bottom having thereon a front wall which only partiallyclosesthe space between its bottom and the superposed bottom and isremovable with its bottom as a unit, each of said bottoms havingopenunobstructed sides whereby the partitions serve as nest sides andeach being extended outwardly beyond said front wall to form a perch andalso to serve as a shade for the next lower nest.

5. A device of the class described com prising a frame having aplurality of vertical partitions therein, and a plurality of nestbottoms removably supported by said partitions and between the same invertical tiers, each bottom having thereon a front wall which onlypartially closes the space between its bottom and the superposed bottomand is removable withits bottom as a unit, each of said bottoms beingextended outwardly beyond said front wall to form a perch and also toserve as a shade for the next lower nest, said bottoms being slidablysupported by the partitions, and freely operable latch devices on saidpartitions adapted to en gage the bottoms at the sides of the partitionsto prevent outward sliding movement.

6. A laying cabinet comprising frame having a plurality of verticalpartitions therein, said partitions being horizontally grooved toreceive between them nest bottoms arranged in vertical tiers, and nestbottoms supported by said partitions and slidable into and out of saidgrooves. each bottom having a front wall which only partiallv closes thespace between the bottom and the superposed bottom and is removable withits bottom as a unit, and each of said bottoms being extended outwardlybeyond said front wall to form a perch and also to serve as a shade forthe next lower nest.

7. A laying cabinet comprising a frame having a plurality of verticalpartitions therein. said partitions being horizontally grooved toreceive between them nest bottoms arranged in vertical tiers, nestbottoms supported by said partitions and slidable into and out of saidgrooves, each bottom having a front wall which only partially closes thespace between the bottom and the superposed bottom and is removable withits bottom as a unit, and latch means for retaining each bottom inposition, each of said bottoms being extended outwardly beyond saidfront wall to form a perch and also to serve as a shade for-the nextlower nest.

8. A frame section for a laying cabinet com n'ising a series of verticalpartitions, a back wall uniting said partitions and closing the spacesbetween them, and a front strip extending across said partitionsadjacent one edge and projecting vertically beyond the edges of thepartitions whereby to overlap an adjacent section, said partitions beinghorizontally grooved to receive nest bottoms slidably between them.

9. A frame section for a laying cabinet comprising a series of verticalpartitions, a back wall uniting said partitions and closing the spacesbetween them, a front strip extending across said partitions adjacentone edge and projecting vertically beyond the edges of the partitionswhereby to overlap an adjacent section, said partitions beinghorizontally grooved to receive nest bottoms slidablv between them, andlatch devices on said partitions to retain the bottoms in position.

10. A laying cabinet comprising a frame built up of a plurality ofhorizontal sections, said sections each having vertical partitionsections arranged with their edges abutting those of adjacent sectionsand each partition section being grooved to receive nest bottoms, eachof said frame sections having a rear wall closing the spaced partitionsections and a front strip extending across the partitions, said walland strip being arranged to overlap an adjacent frame section.

11. A laying cabinet comprising a frame having vertical partitionsadapted to receive between them a series of nest bottoms, means forremovably supportingnest bottoms between the partitions. and a series ofnest bottoms carried by said partitions between the same in verticaltiers, said bot toms having formed thereon a front wall which onlypartially closes the space between the superposed bottoms, and eachbottom being extended beyond the front wall to form a perch and also toserve as a shade for the next lower nest.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE W. I-IARLAGHER.

